


Coffee Shop Hero

by I_am_the_Madi



Category: Justice League - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Coffee Shops, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Lois Lane is dead, Secret Identity Fail, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Strong Female Characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-07 21:15:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14679651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_am_the_Madi/pseuds/I_am_the_Madi
Summary: Lucy Luebke works dutifully at Metropolis's downtown coffee shop, Pocket Caffeine. In turn, her boss rents the upstairs apartment for her at a reduced price. She knows all the regulars by name and order except one. His name is Clark, but he gets a different drink every time. The expansive drink menu and a "Make Your Own" option doesn't help. With an accidental kidnapping by mistaken identity, Lucy is introduced to Superman himself. She wants nothing to do with it and is suspicious of how closely the superhero looks to the coffee shop regular Clark Kent who likes to write his Daily Planet articles in the window booth.





	1. A Normal Day of Work

**Author's Note:**

> While I am editing my Boku No Hero Academia fic (Darkness Rising), I would take a breather to cleanse my writing pallet wherever I got stuck and started on this. I'm not a huge Superman fan (more of a Batman girl myself), so I apologize in advance to all the big fans out there if I get things wrong. I just thought of this little plotline and Superman fits it best.

Lucy perked up from being slumped over the counter as she heard the chimes on the shop door ring lightly. Her coworker and friend, Morgan Matrone, looked up from her phone where she had been scrolling through Instagram. "Good morning," The man who had just entered greeted them as he closed his umbrella and tucked it into the umbrella stand by the door, "It's raining hard out there." 

Lucy smiled, "Yes, thunderstorms do that." The man huffed, amused at her sarcasm and came to the counter. He was dressed business-like, as always, and had a dark blue overcoat with the collar popped up to shield his face from the misty wind outside. Placing his hands down on the counter that was a little short for a taller man like him, he browsed the menu behind Lucy for a drink. "What am I going to get today?" He asked himself. Lucy waited patiently for him to select something. He did this every time he came, choosing a different drink every time. 

"I think I'll have the Golden Milk Latte with that delicious Spinach Quiche I had yesterday," he said, reaching for his wallet and giving her a smile. Lucy nodded, putting his order into the register and telling him his total. He paid with a breathtaking smile and went to sit in his usual spot, the window booth. Lucy got busy with making the Latte as Morgan headed to the kitchen to get a slice of quiche. She returned with it on a plate as Lucy topped the latte off with a sprinkle of turmeric. Lucy took the plate of quiche from Morgan, who hissed quietly in her ear, "One day. One day I am going to jump that man." Lucy raised her eyebrows at her friend, "You say that every time." Morgan glanced over at him, then forced a serious expression on her face, "But one day..." Shaking her head at Morgan's antics, Lucy ducked out from behind the counter and headed over to give the man his order.

"Here you are, Clark. I'm obligated to remind you to be careful, as the beverage is hot. Please don't sue us if you burn yourself." she stated with a playful smirk as she set the plate and coffee cup down in front of him. He gave a soft snort punctuated by a flash of lightning and the distant clap of thunder a few seconds later. "Wow, that one was only about two miles away." Lucy mused, having counted the seconds. 

"You guys be careful out in this storm, alright?" Clark asked, ever the caring gentleman. 

"Morgan and Tolman live two blocks away and I'm just upstairs, we'll be fine," Lucy assured. "What's the daily article on?" 

"Another scandal at LexCorp. An explosion happened at one of the factories due to Luthor not providing the correct safety equipment, Superman saved the day though." Clark stated, grinning as he pulled out his laptop. He was now a telecommuter. The Daily Planet had set up a web newspaper and appointed Clark and a few others to head it. Clark had told her that he preferred working in a more social environment, he could get all the solitude he needed at home. 

Lucy rolled her eyes, "You certainly do write about Superman a lot. Are you a fanboy, Clark?" 

Clark looked at her with wide eyes, "He's Metropolis's greatest hero, and he does a lot of things that get him on the news." 

Lucy was the one to snort now, "He wears a spandex unitard and a cape. He looks like me when I walk around my house in my PJs and a blanket."

Clark rubbed some imaginary dirt off his glasses awkwardly, "It's not spandex." he muttered looking a little embarrassed. 

"And how would you know?" Lucy said defiantly. 

Clark looked out the window at the downpour of rain. "I mean," He stuttered, "Spandex would- it would rip right? If it was made of spandex his suit would rip when he gets hit. So it can't be spandex. It's probably... probably some kind of alien tech material." 

"You totally are a fanboy." Lucy deadpanned.

Clark turned to her, face flushed and sputtering, "I'm not a fanboy, I'm just..." he yanked on the cuffs of his shirt, "I'm well informed. I have to be, I'm a reporter after all. My job is to inform people."

Lucy gave Clark a friendly pat on the back, "I'm just messing with you. Though I do think Superman looks like he's going around in his pajamas."

She left Clark, face still red with embarrassment, to continue doing her job. Though today would be painfully slow due to the raging thunderstorm outside.

Clark typed away at his laptop for most of the morning. Sighing and deleting entire lines and paragraphs, sometimes starting over completely. He always seemed to take such great care when publishing an article about a superhero, especially Superman. Lucy found it endearing but also ridiculously funny. It was as if he thought Superman would read the article, get offended, and come to confront him. Lucy knew that Superman coming to confront a journalist on an article they wrote was about as likely as the hero walking through the cafe door and ordering a coffee... It would never happen. Superman probably had better things to do, like, saving the world. Plus, there were bound to be more offensive writing pieces about him that Clark's article about the factory explosion, people probably wrote bad fanfiction about him.

Clark came up to the counter at noon to order a Hot Pastrami Sandwich after he was satisfied with how his article read. Morgan had been editing an Instagram photo she had taken of her with the rainy window showing the storm outside and a hot cup of coffee, but quickly switched over to her Daily Planet app to read his article. Lucy would be correct in teasing Morgan about being a Superman fangirl, as the blonde woman absorbed everything to do with the superhero on sight. Morgan held no shame to her obsession though, proudly sporting Superman merch in her wardrobe and accessories. She was always wearing something with his logo on it, today it was a large cheerleader bow clipped onto her high ponytail and the Superman socks Lucy had given her for her birthday last year. 

Lucy, on the other hand, was not an avid fan of any of the Justice League heroes. Sure they were protecting Earth and all, but it wasn't something she was interested in. Lucy had never been saved by one of them (though she also had never been stupid enough to get herself into a situation where she would need to have been), she hardly watched ads or saw billboards about them (they had better things to do than pose for pictures at a photo shoot. Except Flash, he had his own museum somewhere. She had never gone to it.) Lucy didn't really go places much either, so she didn't meet a lot of normal people, let alone any superheroes. She was introverted, preferring a calm environment over the pushy crowds of the streets. So why live in the middle of a city? Convenience. Lucy avoided going places by simply getting things shipped and delivered to her door. She knew her boss Tolman, Morgan, another coworker Dave, her postman Cole and the Amazon same-day shipping guy Gabe, and the shop regulars Sue, her husband Kevin, and Clark. That was it. But Lucy liked that, a small circle of friends that she had warmed up to in the past three years. She had known Morgan since grade-school and their friendship had survived going to two different colleges (Lucy had gone to the local east coast community college for a Graphics Design degree while Morgan had shot over to California, hopping from college to college to get a Theater Arts Degree) before they both met up in Metropolis and settled.

Morgan had met Tolman at a club not long after. A single one night stand later and Morgan had called her saying she'd got them jobs. Turns out Tolman was opening a coffee shop in downtown and needed baristas, somehow Morgan had convinced him to offer the job to her and Lucy. Lucy was sure it was some kind of "friends with benefits" kind of deal, but she wasn't one to pry into her friends' sex life. In fact, she didn't even want to know if her suspicions were true. Tolman was certainly head over heels for Morgan, who seemed not to notice. Dave, the cook, on the other hand, wished to know. He constantly peppered everyone with questions, most of which went ignored and unanswered. He would say that gossip was what made his cooking so flavorful and juicy, Lucy knew it was just his Culinary schooling. 

The thunderstorm rolled on and on, the sky tinting a greenish color. Lucy leaned over the counter to look at it with a worried look, "Clark, you might want to think about packing up and heading home." 

Clark looked up from his computer and frowned at the sky. "Yeah, looks like the real storm is coming. Do you guys have a safe place?" He asked, stuffing his computer into its carrying bag and clearing away his notes. 

"I'm not worried." Morgan stated confidently with a flick of her ponytail, "Last time there was a tornado, Superman just flew around it in the opposite direction and made it disappear."

Clark's shoulder drooped and he looked almost apologetic, "It's better to be safe than sorry though." He picked up his umbrella, popped his collar in a way that made him seem very cool and attractive, then paid them all a farewell as he left the shop. 

"We'll pack it up early today," Tolman's voice came from the kitchen, "Radio says there's a tornado warning."

They set to work cleaning up, Tolman blasting some heavy metal over the speakers. Lucy suddenly felt wiped out as they finished, despite having done nothing all day. Rain always made her sleepy, something about the sound of it. She pulled on her coat and darted out the shop door, making an immediate left into the small alleyway that held the staircase to her apartment. Trying not to slip, she hurried up and through the door. "Lights on." She called into the dark apartment. The lights came on, bathing the small studio apartment in warm light. Lucy shrugged her coat off and hung it on the peg next to the door, then locked it behind her. She doubted anyone knew there was an apartment entrance back her, but you could never be too careful. She took off her shoes and tossed them under her coat, into the small pile of others. then padded sock-footed to the bathroom. Turning the shower on hot she waited for it to heat up, undressing and plugging her phone into the speakers sitting on the small vanity counter. The mirror was starting to fog at the top before she had chosen a playlist and gotten into the shower. Lucy simply stood there for the first couple songs, letting the hot water soak deep into her hair and steam up the bathroom. She grabbed her soap bar and washed, finishing with the Lychee and Plum sugar scrub Morgan had bought for her saying that it would be good for her skin or whatnot. She turned the water cold to shock herself awake and the stepped out of the shower. She dried off, twisted her hair into the towel and walked naked to the dresser pushed up against her bed. She pulled out some PJs and dressed then walked the few steps to the little kitchenette.

Tolman always lets her take the last few scoops of looseleaf tea whenever they were close to finishing the box. She had about twenty different kinds to choose from. Tonight she'd have a Dragonfruit Melon Green Tea. She fixed it and settled onto her bed, listening to the wind chimes tinkle outside her window as she sipped and waited for sleep.


	2. A Normal Off Day

Lucy woke to the sound of her phone buzzing. Groping around her bed she found it and turned off the 7 am alarm. Getting up she groaned as she stretched, her back and shoulders popping satisfyingly. She made her way to the bathroom, using the toilet and turning the shower on. She hummed as she washed her face and hair, wondering what she would do today. Maybe order some more conditioner, she was running low again. She dried off, dressing for the day in a pair of grey leggings and a pastel blue twist-front tee. Going back to the kitchen she put last night's tea mug in the dishwasher and opened her fridge. There wasn't much inside, as she usually mooched her meals from Dave at Pocket Caffeine. Pulling out two eggs, some diced ham, and a couple slices of pepper jack cheese Lucy figured she'd make herself an omelet. 

She had just finished cooking when her phone gave a light ding. She picked it up and checked the message.

GABE, AMAZON: The storm kept the delivery trucks from leaving. Headed out now with your package. Don't give me a bad review?

Lucy smiled. Gabe was a sweetheart and always held a pleasant conversation. She texted back.

LUCY: I would never, it was pretty bad out. And don't text and drive!

She ate her omelet and got another text notification, this time it was Morgan.

MORGAN: Heyy girlie. Tolman, some friends, and I are gonna go out drinking next Tuesday for Tolman's birthday  
MORGAN: Can you come??? PLEASE???  
MORGAN: It's Tol's BIRTHDAY!  
MORGAN: I'm not trying to guilt trip you but I totally am

Lucy groaned, flopping over the counter and having a mental debate. Tolman was a great guy and she had ditched his birthday celebration last year but... some of Morgan's other friends got on her nerves. Peppy airheads with hard liquor and no shame. Though she hadn't even gone, Lucy had to pick both Tolman and Morgan up from the club they had gone too because they had been so drunk the Uber driver refused to let them get into his car. The two had made out in her backseat and both got out at Tolman's place, despite Morgan living all the way across town from him. Lucy was still trying to formulate a good enough excuse when there was a double knock at the door. 

She went to open it knowing who it would be. Giving Gabe a smile she took the package from him. "What did you get this time?" He asked. 

"Tolman's birthday present, it's a bunch of Green Lantern stuff. Tolman idolizes him."

"Gabe scuffed his foot on the ground, "I'm not a huge fan of him. They make firefighters and cops and detectives look bad. I mean, look what's going on in Gotham. The chief of police just calls Batman whenever a crime happens. It's insulting to the people there who actually do their jobs."

Lucy gave him a small reassuring smile, Gabe's dad was in the Gotham police force. It was bound to be frustrating. Though Lucy couldn't deny that heroes had come to save the day when it would have been impossible for others to do so.

"They break a lot of things too. Damage cost always goes up whenever they're involved. Everyone overlooks it because they're famous. But whatever, I'm not here to rant." Gabe said, shoving his hand in his hair and looking apologetic.

Lucy shook her head, "No, you have some valid points. I don't think heroes are needed in every situation either, just the really big ones."

Gabe looked shocked but recovered with a shy smile. "Well, um." he said hesitantly, "I've been meaning to ask you for a while, but never really had the chance too."

Lucy stood there expectantly, mind blank. 

"I like to think of us as friends..." Gabe suggested.

"We are friends," Lucy assured nicely.

"Yeah, good. Good. Uh, but..." Gabe looked really shy and awkward, completely different from his happy and bright personality.

"Is there something wrong?" Lucy asked. 

"No no! I just..." Gabe burst out, "You want to maybe hang out sometime? I'm off work Tuesday. We don't have to go anywhere crazy, maybe a museum or a park if it's nice out, get some dinner..."

"Oh no. I can't Tuesday. Tolman's birthday party is then." Lucy sighed, "I missed last years and don't have a good excuse to skip it this time. Also, I'm feeling kind of guilty for not going last year, but you know, I've told you how much Morgan's friends annoy me and they're even worse drunk, let me tell you it gets so-" Lucy shut up her ramble as Gabe grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her gently.

"Hey hey, it's alright. No worries. Some other time maybe?" He gave a light-hearted grin. That was the Gabe she knew.

"Sure." Lucy agreed. Her phone pinged instantly. "Oh no I forgot to reply to Morgan! Thanks for the package!"

Lucy closed the door with a wave and dove for her phone. Morgan was spam texting her.

MORGAN: Lucy!  
MORGAN: Lu!  
MORGAN: Ignoring me won't get you out of it!  
MORGAN: Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu  
MORGAN: Lu  
MORGAN: Lu  
MORGAN: Lu

LUCY: Okay okay stop!  
LUCY: Gabe was at the door. I was getting a package.

MORGAN: I knew you would never ignore me on purpose! <3

LUCY: I'll go to Tolman's birthday thing, alright. I just got his present in the mail.

MORGAN: Oooh what you get him???  
MORGAN: I got him a cool coffee mug. It's Green Lantern  
MORGAN: Cus he got me that awesome Superman one on my birthday, so I'm returning the favor! Cute no??

LUCY: I got him a bunch of Green Lantern stuff too.  
LUCY: You're lucky I decided against the coffee mug. So tacky.

MORGAN: TACKY!?  
MORGAN: Says the girl who recycles the same seven outfits!

LUCY: Morgan, we've had this conversation a million times before. I don't need two different outfits for every day of the year.

MORGAN: Whatever. At least me n Tolman will have kinda matching superhero mugs.  
MORGAN: But I'm totally picking your party outfit, no ifs and or buts!

LUCY: Morgan NOOO

MORGAN: Morgan YES! <3 <3

Lucy sighed, there was no getting out of it now. Morgan was a fashion diva and more stubborn than anyone. Lucy just knew Morgan would stuff her into some kind of sexy dress of hers. It was better just to accept her fate than try to fight it.


	3. Superman's Discourse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, up in the Watchtower, Superman contemplates Lucy's somewhat of an insult to his costume choice.

"You seem troubled."

Superman turned from the large glass window overlooking Earth to find Martian Man Hunter. "Its nothing," he dismissed. J'onn did not seem convinced. Superman sighed, "It's stupid really, but... do I look like I'm going around in footie pajamas and a blanket?"

This earned him a raised eyebrow. "Both you and Batman wear similar styles of costume, but I am not one to judge," J'onn said, gesturing to his own super costume, "What brought on this sudden self-consciousness?" 

"A woman said it to me yesterday," Superman said turning back to the window.

"She must be quite formidable," J'onn stated, coming to stand next to him, "To insult a superhero as yourself to your face."

"She doesn't know I'm Superman, she said it to Clark Kent." Superman explained, "I was in a coffee shop that I frequent, writing a story about, well, myself. The factory explosion incident."

J'onn nodded, "She must be a good friend if it has stuck with you."

"You could say she is. We only ever talk when I'm there, and I've never seen her out in the city before. She's a little shy with people, took me a year for her to talk to me." Superman said. 

"Seems like a nice girl," J'onn said.

"Think she's right about the PJ thing?" Superman asked, "Be honest."

"A little." J'onn said with an amused smile, "Though the cape is cool."

"Of course capes are cool." Superman grinned.


End file.
